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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. race — humankind
  3. mark — a trace
  4. root — the cause
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. root — of a word
  11. drill — a practice
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. craft — boats
  15. drill — army training
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. craft — a skill
  18. race — the arms race
  19. drill — the tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. root — of a plant
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. race — a contest
  24. mark — a grade

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com